Creating the Brand of “You”

August 26th, 2010

SIG: Training Directors
Date: August 19, 2010

Dear SIG Members-
I hope everyone is doing well this rainy week.

This month we had a powerful presentation by Diane McCulloch on
branding.
The presentation covered a lot of ground and discussed the process
whereby we can strategically market and define ourselves. As Diane said,
if we do not identify our brand someone else will do it for us.

Similar to past presenters, much of the branding process starts with
intention and authenticity. Here are the steps of the branding model I
took away from the meeting:
1. What are your goals mission and values?
2. What are the technical competence components you are selling?
3. What is your packaging (physical attributes should represent your
brand)?
4. How do you present and communicate your brand (what you say and how
you say it matters)?
5. How visible is your brand (need to get yourself in front of your
buyers)?

To effectively deliver your brand, the first key is being consistent
followed by achieving reputational power. To paraphrase a quote from
Gandi:
“Be the brand you want the world to see.”

Also a community update, we have a discussion forum now on Linked In!! I
have pre-approved all SIG members. Please log into Linked In and enroll
in our group:
ASTD Metro NY Training Directors Group

This will be our area to continue the discussion between meetings and
communicate with each other. After you enter, you will see the group’s
guidelines, please read to get started. You will also see summaries of
our recent events. Happy Posting!

If you have any questions, you can contact me directly as well.
Best Regards,
-Sanford Gold, Chair, ASTDNY Training Directors SIG

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Know Your Worth and What You Want

August 10th, 2010

SIG: Transition
Date: August 10, 2010

This evening’s SIG meeting focused on negotiating during the job interview process. Kathy Meany, Senior Performance Consultant facilitated the meeting. The topics covered included
• How much an employer is willing to pay?
• How to evaluate the company?
• How to take it or leave it?

How much an employer is willing to pay?
To answer this you need to determine your worth to the organization. Make a list of your credentials such as degrees and experience. What measurable successes have you had, such as increased sales or reduced costs? Be specific when quantifying your accomplishments. Next you will need to conduct some research. You need to understand the job offer. What are the responsibilities and job duties? What is the total compensation package - salary, medical benefits, 401k, vacation etc.? Will relocation be required? You also need to research salary ranges. There are several ways to do this. You can use websites such as Salary.com and Career Builders. You should also use your networking capabilities. Talk with people in the industry to get potential salary ranges. Using multiple sources will result in a more accurate assessment of the salary range and a more accurate assessment of your worth.

How to evaluate the company?
When evaluating a company there are a number of areas you should review.
• Functional Fit - Will you enjoy this job? Will you be motivated?
• Employer - Large or small company? Opportunities for advancement? Are they a market leader? Are they in a growth industry?
• Management - Do they have a loyal workforce or high turnover? What is their management style? What type of support/training will you receive? How often will you receive an evaluation/salary review?
• Culture - What is the dress code? What is the office environment like? What hours will you be expected to work?
• Location - Will your commute be reasonable? Will you need to relocate?

How to take it or leave it?
Some rules to follow when negotiating your offer.
• Do not negotiate until you get a firm offer. Always get your offer in writing. Never accept it on the spot.
• Avoid being the first to state your salary range. Ask the interviewer their range for the position.
• Never bluff. Salary history, as well as other information, can surface in the background check.
• Have a negotiating goal of 5% - 15% above your desired salary. As much as 90% of hiring managers do not make their best offer first.
• Support your salary with your experience and successes.
• Know your lowest acceptable offer and walk-away point.
• Although the time can vary you may be able to take as much as one week to consider an offer.
• Reject an offer only when you are willing to walk away. If you reject an offer do so with a meeting or telephone call with the interviewer. It is possible the interviewer could come back with a better offer. Also, always send a thank you note in order to stay on good terms with the company.
Keep in mind that if you have gotten an offer they consider you the best candidate for the job. Communicate your worth and get the offer you deserve.

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Land a job: Promote the Brand of You

August 6th, 2010

Interesting article on CNN’s website titled: Land a Job: Promote the Brand of You.

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/moneymag_archive/2010/08/01/105959249/index.htm

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Aug. Chapter Event - Relevancy of Degrees & Certifications to the L&D Professional

August 6th, 2010

Relevancy of degrees & certifications to the L&D professional - that’s really the issue our August 24 membership meeting is intended to grapple with. As learning leaders get their “seat at the table,” we are called upon to bridge the divide between pedagogy and business strategy more effectively than ever. The role is becoming more of an internal consultant, using OD skills and methods to help HR and senior business partners decide when the appropriate response to a defined problem is a new system or process, or when it is a training initiative. So L&D professionals are faced with the need to stay abreast of the evolution of our craft, AS WELL AS thoroughly understanding the organization’s strategy and respond with learning programs that add value to the bottom line. A Masters’ Degree in Instructional Design looks great on the resume, the ASTD’s CPLP is a club many of us should probably belong to, but an MBA will teach you the fundamentals of governance, P & L reports, and the lingo the C Suite is using. As the prophets of lifelong learning, how do we ourselves stay on the cutting edge of adult learning theory and practice while fulfilling the new role of Internal Learning Consultant within the Talent Management umbrella? What competencies do we need to build to keep the seat at the table AND effectively serve the learners in our sessions? Then, where do we go to learn those competencies in order to advance our careers in 2010?”

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Companies Crack Down on Social Media in the Workplace

August 6th, 2010

More employers are disciplining employees who violate their social-networking policies, and medical institutions say they’re especially concerned because patient privacy is protected by law. “Social media isn’t any different than talking about patient information at the dinner table or calling up your aunt and telling her about a high-profile patient that came in. For some reason, people don’t make the connection that Facebook isn’t private,” says Jessica Soulliere, spokeswoman at the University of Michigan Health System.   What do you think?  Here’s the article:

http://www.detnews.com/article/20100802/BIZ04/8020357/1001/Firms-crack-down-on-staffers–Facebook–Twitter–YouTube-posts

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Meet the Coaches: Facilitating Discovery, Leadership and Transition

August 3rd, 2010

Coaching SIG notes
July 21, 2010

Tonight’s Coaching SIG built awareness of various coaching methods, tools and techniques to help Coaches with practice and coaching competency development. It was facilitated by Megan Tobin, Principal, Time2Market Inc.; Steven Yorra, President, The Illumination Group; and Dr. Carol Mase, President, Cairn Consultants.

The meeting began with Steven talking about “Personal Core BrandingSM as a tool for positioning and packaging yourself for success - whether you’re coaching leaders, those in career transition, consultants/coaches starting your own business. His “5 E’s of Personal Core BrandingSM include:

1. Examine - your identity
2. Envision - the possibilities
3. Energize - from within
4. Engage - connect with others
5. Embody - own it!

Using the principles of branding, it is especially effective as a leadership development tool, helping executives align personal strengths and values with organizational vision and business strategy.

Next, Carol spoke about change. Carol pointed out that many change initiatives fail because we attempt to follow specific steps in a specific sequence to get us from our current status quo to a desired future, i.e., from one level to the next. This ideas assumes that change is linear and sequential, the outcome and process both known from the start. While we know our current state and what we desire our future state to be, we fail to see and address the destabilizing events that initiate change and make the journey non-linear and unpredictable. They lead us to opportunities and transformational ideas that will get us to our desired future state, even though we cannot predict how each individual or group will make the journey ahead of time. This phenomena is common to complex systems - in hindsight the change journey looks logical, as if we could have predicted each step of the journey before hand, when instead it is emergent, a product of each situation as they unfold.

Concluding the first part of the meeting, Megan reviewed several coaching techniques (e.g., Shadow Coaching), various social media tools and other technologies that are helpful for coaching clients either in-person, or on a virtual basis. Megan’s finding these techniques and technologies are becoming more prominent in her work with clients and that coaching can be completed via telephone, but most clients want to be comfortable with the process first.

The second part of the meeting was facilitated by Carol, who introduced the group to the VUCA model. This model, originally developed by the military, is now commonly used by private businesses. By focusing the client on changing a challenge into a solution, the client establishes a new perspective on the situation, identifies new opportunities (vs. obstacles) and can more quickly attain a targeted goal.

Situation(Challenge)               -            Desired Outcome (Solution)
Volatility Vision                       -            (outcome you desire)
Uncertainty Understanding  -            (what you learn about the situation)
Complex Clarity                      -            (what is now clear about the situation)
Ambiguous Agility                  -            (the ability to interact and resolve)

Carol concluded the meeting by working through a real-life situation with one of the attendees. This was a great activity and included participation from the other coaches and participants.

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How to Influence Through Written Communication: Write Better and Achieve More

July 19th, 2010

Training Directors SIG notes
July 15, 2010

The Training Directors SIG for July focused on how to write powerful emails, proposals, reports and other documents. Jack Appleman, Successful Business Writing, facilitated this interactive meeting.

Writing has typically been considered a soft skill that would be nice to improve but not worth the investment in training. Jack highlighted the impact of poor writing skills on the organization, including the loss in productivity, miscommunication of information and the potential for tasks to be completed incorrectly.

Jack outlined several key steps to improving writing skills:
1. Tap the power of simplicity - simple messages sell.
2. Revisit your approach to writing - define your message and build a bridge to lead your readers to your point.
3. Write clearly and concisely - be precise and brief, avoid confusion.
4. Write with rhythm and order - create a smooth flow so readers can move easily through your message.
5. Influence to grab the readers’ attention - start with what is most important to the readers.
6. Master email communication - arrange your ideas in a logical order to help your readers understand.
7. Choose your tone wisely - fit your language and attitude to the readers.

In closing, Jack reminded everyone of the 3 R’s of writing
1. Read
2. Revise
3. Review
For more information please visit Jack’s website at www.successfulbusinesswriting.com

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Effective Communication and Influencing Skills

July 12th, 2010

SIG: Transition
Date: June 29, 2010

This month’s meeting focused on effective communication and influencing skills. I was struck that the most important part of the communication process is not the message but the people involved in its delivery and reception. Ginny O’Brien provided us insightful experiences and lessons learned from her many years of coaching and consulting and some gems of wisdom.

Here are a few that stood out for me:

  1. Move forward in simple and small steps.
  2. Believe in your own idea.
  3. Different styles get influenced in different ways.
  4. Listen and understand on an emotional level.
  5. Center yourself, be conscious and have intention.
  6. Prior to important conversations, recall an image of yourself when you were powerful.
  7. You have a half second to know your triggers and calm down.
  8. Rehearse and rehearse so you can perform on autopilot.

The next SIG meeting is on July 15th- How to Influence Through Written Communication: Write Better and Achieve More.

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Successful Interview Techniques

July 12th, 2010

SIG: Transition
Date: June 17, 2010

This evening’s Transition SIG was the final session on successful interviewing techniques. As a follow up to last month’s session that focused on telephone interviewing skills, this month’s meeting covered face-to-face interviewing techniques.

Susan Mozian and John LaPerla conducted this session as well as the previous one. Kathy Meany, Transition SIG Chair, opened the meeting by having everyone present their 60 sec. marketing pitch.

The meeting began with a recap of last month’s meeting with a handout for the group titled “10 Tips for the Telephone Interview.” These tips covered preparing for the interview by having your resume, cover letter and job description in front of you during the interview. It is also recommended that you be seated in front of your computer so you can reference the company’s website if necessary. It was highlighted that you should take notes during the interview so you can have consistent answers on future phone or face-to-face interviews as the hiring process moves forward.

In preparation for the face-to-face interview it was advised that the applicant take several steps.

  1. Mapquest where you are going and give yourself plenty of time to arrive.
  2. Research the company’s website so you are knowledgeable about the organization. This will also help you prepare your questions for the interviewer.
  3. Conduct a LinkedIn search of the recruiter, hiring manager and company for any connections that might be helpful.
  4. Google the recruiter and hiring manager as well as yourself to identify any public information that might be helpful.
  5. Dress appropriately for the interview. Err on the side of being more professional.

The final part of the meeting was an interactive exercise during which each attendee got the opportunity to interview and be interviewed. Prepared questions were distributed that could be used in the exercise. This was especially useful as it gave insight into how you might perform during the interview and what areas you would need to strengthen before a real interview.

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Experience Telepresence: Upclose and Personal

July 7th, 2010

SIG: Coaching and eLearning (joint meeting)
Date: June 9, 2010

The Coaching and eLearning Special Interest Groups held a combined meeting.

The meeting began with the introduction of Lou Donlin, SLED Unified Communications & Collaboration Specialist for Cisco Systems. Lou took the group through a presentation explaining and highlighting the benefits of Telepresence. After Lou’s presentation the attendees broke into smaller groups and participated in a Teleprescence demonstration conducted by Brian Hobs of Cisco. Brian conducted the demonstration from Cisco’s office in San Jose, CA.

Telepresence is a simple, yet very effective video conferencing solution that allows you to connect with your clients, suppliers, business partners or employees on a real-time basis. It is becoming more accessible, flexible and scalable with improvements in technology. It can transform a business by streamlining its communications processes.

Benefits include:

  1. Lower costs due to reduced travel expense and employee time
  2. Is environmentally friendly by reducing energy consumption due to travel
  3. Allows companies to sustain or gain a competitive advantage by positioning subject matter experts in front of clients quickly
  4. Voice and video are encrypted for security

Potential uses include:

  1. Client meetings
  2. Internal meetings
  3. Training individuals or groups
  4. Team brainstorming

Additional applications noted were collaboration between schools for virtual classrooms and health applications such as having a medical specialist join in a Telepresence to discuss a challenging and possibly unknown medical condition.

It was an excellent presentation on a topic that is sure to change the way we conduct business in the future.

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